Are you ready for a year-long project? Then you are ready to make a temperature quilt! There are so many ideas and ways to approach it. We asked a few quilters about their projects to help give you temperature quilt ideas and inspiration!
What is a temperature quilt?
A temperature quilt tracks the daily temperatures throughout a year. Fabric colors are selected for temperature ranges, and a quilt block is selected to highlight the high and low temperatures for the day, using the selected fabrics. A quilt block is made for every day of the year.
Some quilters are fairly literal in selecting the different colors of fabric – like white for below freezing, blue for cold, and red or orange for very hot days. Others choose a color palette they like and let the quilt evolve!
Like some of the people we asked below, your temperature quilts can be made for the current year or made to document a specific year – like celebrating a wedding year, or birth of a child.
And, yes, historical weather data is available if you want to make a special quilt representing any given year.
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Similar to temperature quilts, habit quilts select fabrics for a specific habit – for example, training for a marathon. During the training period, a specific color of fabric is used for the number of miles run or workout at the gym. The maker can see their progress over time visually, culminating in running the marathon.
See what other makers have done to plan, track and make their temperature quilts:
Beth Helfter
EvaPaige Quilt Designs
Instagram
How did you select your fabrics?
My quilt is a little different because it is totally scrappy. Instead of choosing a particular fabric for each 3-4 temperature range, I chose a specific color and value for each 10-degree range. Here is my color key for my quilt:
What did you choose as your quilt block?
I chose a circle appliqued on a square as my design because it would be very quick and easy each day. The square represents the low and the circle the high for each day, so each day I’d dig in my scrap bins for fabrics that fit the colors needed to make the block for the day before’s temperatures. I tried not to reuse any fabrics, but a few ended up accidentally showing up more than once. Squares were cut 3 ½” to finish at 3” and the circles were cut to 2 ½” using Sue Pelland’s Hearts and More tool. The average temperature for the month is represented by a smaller circle on the first of each month.
How did you plan the sewing of the blocks? Did you sew one at a time? Or batch sew them?
I actually made mine during 2023. I worked on it pretty much every day that I was home, catching up on a few days at a time when I was out of the studio. I’d check the temperatures for the day before, then making my block (cutting the square and fusing on the circle) was the first thing I did in the studio each day before switching over to whatever other projects I had going.
My rows were 17 blocks long. I would make 17 blocks, then do the machine applique portion around all those circles, then sew the row together. I added each row to the main quilt as it was completed. I basically left the quilt up on my design wall the whole year, taking the main sewn together portion down when I needed more room for something else ( have a very large design wall).
Once I made that one, I was curious about how different one made in the year of my birth (1969) would look using the same parameters. I made one half size, and I do think it shows that climate change has for sure raised the average temperatures.
Joanne Kerton
Canuck Quilter Designs
How did you select your fabrics?
I chose a range of Moda Grunge colours covering the colour spectrum, making sure there was some contrast between each. I created a color key chart showing which fabric denoted each temperature range to keep track of when to use which colours in the quilt.
How did you organize your finished blocks?
I pre-cut a number of pieces in each colour and stored them in small ziplock bags labelled with the associated temperature range.
Did you sew one each day? Or batch them?
I started out making a new unit each day, gradually drifted to making one or two weeks’ worth at one sitting, and in the end I sewed the last 5 months in a 3-day sewing marathon in late December.
How did you store and keep track of your finished blocks?
I sewed units to the month’s row as I made them so they would stay in order.
Do you have any tips for designing and making your quilt?
In designing a temperature quilt, decide if you want to be able to quickly find a date, or whether you’re simply using the daily temperatures to choose daily colours.
If you want to be able to quickly find a particular date in your finished quilt, you will probably need a little bit of background fabric between months or weeks to help break down the 365 days.
You could also use the background to record other data. For example, a grey background might represent cloudy days, or a white background represent a snowy day.
Deb Messina
Quiltblox.com
Facebook.com/Quiltblox
Instagram.com/Deb.Quiltblox
Read our interview with Deb
How did you select your fabrics?
I love batiks and for a project of this scope, I wanted to work with fabrics that make me happy. It’s a LOT of blocks to make and I didn’t want to get tired of looking at them halfway through the project. As it turns out, I was visiting Astoria and had to stop in at Homespun Quilts. In one visit, I picked out every single “temperature” fabric.
The background fabric was a little trickier. I kept changing my mind as I played around with different blocks. In the end, I went back to Astoria and found the perfect background fabric.
How do you organize your finished blocks?
I am making all the blocks for one row at a time, adding them in order as I finish them. Each row is tagged with a row number on the left side of the row. The rows are sewn together as I complete them. That way, I don’t need to remember what day a finished block represents, they are already sewn in order.
Do you do one daily? Or batch them?
Batching is the only way to go for me. The block I chose allows me to make “half blocks” that represent a single color (temperature). I’m making batches of them at a time and storing them in numbered zip bags. When I’m ready to make the finished block, I pull out the half blocks in the colors I need to represent that day’s temperatures, sew the two halves together and that day is complete.
How are you storing and keeping track of your finished blocks?
The blocks are added to their respective row as I complete them. It’s the only way I can keep it all in order. The completed rows (and growing quilt top) are stored in a plastic tote, along with the fabrics that represent each temperature.
Do you have any tips for designing and making your quilt?
Do a little research. Look at temperature quilts made by others to give you an idea of the many ways to approach this project. I found lots of great advice in several Temperature Quilt Facebook Groups.
Think about the size you want your finished quilt to be, keeping in mind that a small quilt, with a year’s worth of blocks, makes those blocks pretty tiny. Blocks that are too large will make a quilt that is larger than can be easily long-arm quilted.
Decide on the overall layout of your quilt first. 365 / 366 does not divide evenly into rows, so you’ll need to account to some additional “space” to create a pleasing layout.
Once you’ve decided on a layout, it’s time to think about choosing a block. I wrote about choosing blocks in this article: https://quiltblox.com/temperature-quilts-choosing-blocks/
Now that you have a plan, it’s time to choose the fabrics. I went with batiks, but any fabrics that make you happy will work, provided you choose fabrics that have some contrast from each other, and that aren’t too “busy”. I wrote about choosing fabrics in the article: https://quiltblox.com/choosing-fabrics-for-a-temperature-quilt/
– Do something fun with the label, border, binding, and back.
– Use the leftover temperature fabrics to create a colorful binding,
– Document the reason for creating this quilt on the label
– Add a pretty border using the temperature fabrics
The back of the quilt can be a pretty part of the quilt by mixing in the temperature fabrics or extra blocks.
Becky Jorgensen
website: https://www.patchworkposse.com/
and my online quilt group: https://www.patchworkposse.com/patchworkers-plus
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcULExXw3qShLv0wv5gbr-A
How did you select your fabrics?
I first made the master chart with the temperatures and the colors I was going to use. You could cut a snippet of each fabric and pin it next to the chart to keep it a little more organized, I used little pieces of paper that were pinned to the fabric with their temperature represented written on it.
How do you organize your finished blocks?
Because the pattern is paper piecing, I left the paper on. At the top of the paper is a spot to keep track of the dates / week so that really is helpful. When I get them all done, I can use that information on the back to make sure they are kept in order.
You could use block markers though – tutorial here: https://www.patchworkposse.com/quilt-block-markers-pinnable-and-reusable/ and here: https://www.patchworkposse.com/block-and-row-markers-for-quilting/ They really do help keep it all organized and can be customized.
Do you do one daily? Or batch them?
I have been batching them. That has worked the best. I usually sew four blocks at a time or one month.
How are you storing and keeping track of your finished blocks?
I have a simple container that has the fabric, the pattern templates as well as the finished blocks together. Everything in one spot so it’s easy to grab it, fill out the temperatures and then sew what I need. No waiting for more copies or digging for the fabric. It’s all there.
Do you have any tips for designing and making your quilt?
If you are going to use your own pattern – then you’ll need to decide if you want to keep track of only the highs of the days, the lows of the days or both. For me, I did the highs.
It is a busy quilt, so some sort of background fabric can help give rest to your eyes.
Have fun with this project! Also – if you are finding that you don’t have enough variety in the tones or fabric colors, don’t be afraid to split temperatures up and add more colors. You’ll find that your area kind of fluctuates between a few numbers a lot and if you can break those up so you don’t have large sections that have the same fabric, that would be great.
Overall, it’s a fun way to look back at the year and see what was happening with the weather!
S. Maggie Schubert
Chestnut Knoll Studio
Follow Maggie on Instagram: @chestnutknollstudio
How did you select your fabrics?
It took me a while to select fabrics. I have been wanting to make a temperature quilt for a couple years now but couldn’t settle on the right palette.
So many quilts are a rainbow and I wanted things to be a little more natural and represent the temperature ranges and how we as people experience them.
As an architect, I remember studying thermal comfort at Virginia Tech and always picture the comfortable temperatures in the greens much like we see in spring is when the trees start to get their leaves and things warmer than lean into warmer colors.
I was looking for warmer colors that are earthy and remind me of the red clay of the Virginia Piedmont where I grew up.
For the colder colors I wanted cool blues and purples transitioning into greys and blacks. The winter is so cold and dark with less sunshine so I was thinking about that also.
I decided to select Carolyn Friedlander’s Languid fabrics because they have an interesting finish with a shiny pattern on them so they have depth and change in texture depending on how the light hits them. The line has a great range in the cool colors and soft greens the red/oranges are very earthy/ I also added some of the coordinating solids with the line to give a little contrast and compliement the shiny nature of the line.
How do you organize your finished blocks?
I am using the Arlo quilt pattern by Carolyn Friedlander as the structure for the quilt. The quilt pattern is a series of hexagons that are divided into 5 different increments.
Instead of the portion of color being random, I am letting the temperature of the day design how much or how little of the color there is based on how warm or cool a day is. I am using the color range based on the high and the low of the day and analyzing the amount of each color through a comparison of the average of the day and the mean daily temperature (figured out by the average of the day’s high and low).
So for example – two consecutive days can have the same high and low ranges but different amounts of each color. (Image of Jan 21st & 22)
Do you do one daily? Or batch them?
I started out doing one a day but lately I have been batch cutting them on the weekends so that I can balance it with other projects.
I have my materials set up in my office so they are easily accessible and can be done daily if I want to.
How are you storing and keeping track of your finished blocks?
The entire project is being done by hand with EPP so I am sewing one day at a time until I complete the month.
The progress pieces that are cut and glued fit perfectly in a medium split pouch that I made.
Once a month of hexies are completed and photographed I sew them all together. It has been fun to see how the days of the month compare before they become part of the bigger quilt.
When they are all sewn together they are pinned up in my office on a cork wall so it is always present to remind me that there is work to be done.
Here is the notebook I have been using to keep track of all the blocks and colors.
Wendy Ames
Website: https://quiiltybiird.com/
I did a temperature quilt for 2023. and a temperature quilt for my son and daughter-in-law’s first year of marriage.
How did you select your fabrics?
For 2023 I went with solids and a dark background. I was in a rainbow state of mind at the time and had a few fat quarter bundles that needed a project.
For the first year one I used the kids’ favorite colors and worked from one to the other – yellow to black batiks and many shades going from one to the other.
How do you organize your finished blocks?
For both quilts, I clipped the blocks in order, earliest on top, with the month name on a post-it or behind a post-it with the row number on it. 2023 also got small stickers with the day of the month (1, 13, 30, etc) so I didn’t mess up. The first year quilt was much easier to keep in line just by stacking.
Do you do one daily? Or batch them?
I tended to batch them – 4-8 days at a time.
How are you storing and keeping track of your finished blocks?
I have a plastic storage container for each. The blocks were in zip top bags (finished rows in one, finished blocks in another) with the fabrics that I pre-cut for ease of assembly.
Do you have any tips for designing and making your quilt?
Graph paper is your best friend if you’re not using a predesigned pattern but making your own design.
Staci Wendland
See Staci’s article about making her temperature quilt on her blog
https://www.craftystaci.com
https://www.instagram.com/craftystaci
https://www.facebook.com/CraftyStaci
How did you select your fabrics?
Since I planned my quilt as a wall hanging, my squares were pretty small. I felt like a print would get lost, and I wanted the changes between temperatures to be obvious, so I went with solids and tone-on-tone prints.
I made myself a key to keep track of which fabrics I was using for each temperature, using 5 degree increments. I ultimately went with 23 different fabrics, ranging from 100+ degrees to -20, and I was able to use every single one!
How do you organize your finished blocks?
The whole thing was kept in a corner of my work table for the entire year. I had envelopes for each color of the fabric squares and a diagram of the quilt hanging on my door so I could mark off the days I had finished.
Do you do one daily? Or batch them?
About once a week I would sew the blocks together for the previous week and add them to the row for that month. At the end of the month, that row would get sewn onto the quilt top. I was enjoying it so much I actually kept up for the entire year!
Do you have any tips for designing and making your quilt?
Because it’s a lengthy project, I recommend choosing a design that you’ll be able to keep up with. I love some of the more complicated temperature quilts out there, but I knew they weren’t for me. Also, precut whatever shape you’re using if you can. It makes it much easier to catch up on sewing.
Cyndy Warehime
Tell us about your temperature quilt.
2024, 4×4″ squares are the lows, and the hand appliqued orange peels are the highs. It starts in upper left corner with a combo, Jan 1 and Jan 2.
The extra white peels are someone specials birthday. The temperature range are the appliqués on the borders.
I’m working on the machine quilting now… I like it, its scrappy, not too seriously accurate.
Tips and ideas for making a temperature quilt
Start with planning. Pick a quilt block that has at least two fabrics – one for the high temperature of the day, and one for the low temperature of the day.
Next, look at temperature ranges from the past year (or two). What are the ranges for the location you are making the quilt? Select as many as you’d like. If you like somewhere with moderate climate change, you may pick 5-degree temperature ranges. If you live somewhere where the winters are bitter cold and summers beastly hot, you may choose 10 or 15-degree temperature ranges.
Then, pick your fabrics – one for each temperature range. You don’t need to pick red or orange for daily high temps. Pick fabrics and colors you like. Your quilt can be all cool colored fabrics – if that is what you like!
You can pick prints or solid fabrics, or dye your own fabric – whatever works for you!
Selecting a temperature quilt pattern doesn’t need to be hard. Look for a quilt pattern that can be made in two fabrics. A popular quilt pattern is the flying geese block. Or, for a simple temperature quilt make half square triangles. It’s important to select a smaller quilt block – you’ll be making 365 of them to put into a quilt (unless it is a leap year!).
Once you have your ranges, fabrics selected and a pattern it is time to get to organizing!
Formalize a ‘fabric key’ or planning sheet for the temperature ranges and put somewhere for easy reference.
Set up a temperature chart to be able to track the daily high temperature and low temps. You don’t need to track daily – you can always look up the temps.
Think about how much fabric you’ll need and buy it all at once. If you selected a specific fabric line, the fabric might be out of stock a year later, or be a different dye lot when you have only a few more blocks to finish your quilt. To avoid that, consider picking ranges and finding a variety of fabrics that fit in a range, for a scrappy look! That would be a great way to use up scraps and those fat quarters you just had to buy!
You can sew one block every day, but as you saw above, most people will work on their temp quilt between other projects, or when they are looking for something mindless to sew.
Make sure to label your blocks with the day! You can use small labels or pin a piece of paper to the block. Once you’ve made them, keep them organized!
Working on your quilt a little bit at a time over the course of the year, when the next year rolls around you’ll be ready to finish piecing and quilting your quilt!
It’s a good idea to keep your temperature chart and the pre-cut fabrics close to your sewing machine. When you are looking for something to sew, put together a few blocks!
Browse through more quilting inspiration on Create Whimsy.